By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, says 80 per cent of convicts in correctional facilities in the state were apprehended by its operatives.
Mr Adetunji Adeleye, State Commander of the Corps, said this on Sunday in Akure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Adeleye said the turnover of criminals arrested by Amotekun could no longer be contained within the existing judicial system, so the judiciary was approached, hence the large percentage of convicts.
“We not only investigate, but the law permits us to investigate and prosecute. We do thorough investigations and take the criminals to courts of competent jurisdiction, and get them prosecuted.
“As of today, so many of these convicts are in various correctional centres in the state, and those criminals we prosecute are much more in number than other agencies,” he stated.
The commander also said Ondo State used to witness a high rate of crime before the advent of Amotekun.
“Before the inauguration of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State, it was impossible for you to go to the bank and get home without that money being snatched.
“Commercial activities as of 6:00 p.m. were impossible. So, I advised at that time that the government should ban the use of Okada at night.
“We found out from our survey that more than 70 per cent of crime perpetrated was either getting there with Okada or getting out with Okada. So it becomes very difficult to track and trace them.
“I can tell you that when we took that decision and enforced it to the letter, criminal activities in the state, especially in the metropolis, dropped by more than 80 per cent.
“Yes, it came with some hardship, but you can’t eat your cake and have it. We followed suit with ban on tinted vehicles and unregistered vehicles.
“That helped to reduce drastically the criminal activities in the state,” he said.
Recall that on Thursday, the Ekiti Amotekun Command said it foiled the alleged plan of a 21-year-old man, Ahmed Abdulai, to rape a 13-year-old girl at Are Ekiti in the Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
It noted that its operatives nabbed the suspect and subsequently handed him over to the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police of the State Command, for further investigation.
(NAN)